The Truth That Lies In Our Hearts
by Lindie825
Summary: A rewrite of Eric and Sookie in Season 7 True Blood. A little wishful thinking on my part.
1. Chapter 1

AN: My rewrite of Eric and Sookie in Season 7 TB. I hope you enjoy it.

"Sookie" Eric said from the shadows. She stopped and turned as her eyes searched for the owner of the voice. Her eyes came into focus and she saw him, in silhouette, the outline of his hip jutting out, and arms crossed. "Eric?", she whispered with a hint of question in her voice. Their eyes met and held for what seemed like an eternity before she heard a voice clearing behind her. Startled, she quickly turned and gave a nod to her companions. "I'll be fine" she said as she turned and walked hesitantly towards Eric.

"Can we talk? There are some things I need to discuss with you."

Sookie continued to move towards him shaking her head 'yes'. He took a few steps forward stepping into the glow that radiated from Bellefleur's Bar and Grill. She couldn't help but notice how angelic it made him look. He was a beautiful man.

"So….we've never had an opportunity to talk, you and I. Seeing you again has stirred feelings that I would rather have left buried", Eric said as he motioned for her to sit at the picnic table that laid between them. "I'd like to be rid of these feelings, once and for all". Sookie gave no reaction to his confession. Eric sighed and continued, "It's easy to see that Bill still has a hold over you. Regardless of what he's done, you're drawn to him and I no longer have the energy", a weighted pause consumed his thoughts for a few moments, but then he continued "or the desire to fight…..for you".

Sookie felt confused. She wasn't prepared to have this conversation. She had been ignoring this Eric since he regained his memories. She couldn't deny that she had feelings for him, but he scared her. He made her feel things about him…about herself…that she was not prepared to deal with, and right now, she had bigger things on her mind. Namely Bill and his Hep-V. Bill was dying….dying at her hands, and talking about her feelings about Eric, or anyone else, for that matter, wasn't happening. So she did what she did best when it came to him, she ignored her feelings. And she ignored his feelings.

"Bill's dying and it's my fault. I can't ignore that. It's my responsibility to help him and I can't be concerned about what you may or may not feel", she said, pain seeping into her voice. "I'm tired of this dance, too, Eric. So do what you gotta do. I don't want to fight and, frankly, it's pissing me off that you choose now to tell me this. What do you want me to do, Eric? Huh?! Do you want me to drop everything and run away with you? Well, I can't..I…I won't".

Eric wasn't surprised by Sookie's attack. It had been her MO, after all. Protect Bill. Hate Bill. Love Bill. All of it at the expense of just about everything else. Bill evoked tumultuous emotions in Sookie. His blood coursed through her and it left a trail of destruction in its wake. She had no judgment when it came to Bill. Despite the betrayals, lies, and manipulations, she was drawn to him. Literally, a moth to a flame, and Eric had no desire to watch her burn. Now she felt guilt and she was willing to lose herself to Bill in an attempt to wash away her perceived sin. There was no fighting that. Not with Sookie. Stubborn, that's what she was and it was clear that she'd all but dug in for the long haul.

Eric sighed with acceptance. The words he spoke to Nora were true. 'Another life'…that's what he had had with Sookie and he finally accepted that there was nothing more. "I'm sorry", he said as he fought the urge to touch her. Unsure what to say next, a slight smile crossed his face "My timing, I fear, has never been good when it comes to you." Silence hung between them. Hanging his head, he said "I don't want to fight with you, Sookie, but I also need to find some peace. Seeing you again, even as I felt death creeping through every inch of my being, I found that I couldn't let go. You, Sookie….you gave me hope when there was none, when I had all but given up, and you've always been that for me. From the moment you walked into my life….that girl in the white dress, you have given me something to look forward to. Quite a feat when you've lived as long as I have. In my thousand years, I can barely remember looking forward to a future with another being as I've looked forward to being with you." Eric locked eyes with her, "but I know now it can never be. So I am letting go. I'm choosing to move on and accept that you will never be mine. In life…and in death, you will be Bill's. His grip on you may lessen over time, as his blood and your guilt release you, but know that I will be gone."

Unshed tears filled Sookie's eyes as she looked at Eric's pain-filled face. She wished she could let go of Bill, but she couldn't. She knew that he would always be an itch that she would have to scratch, regardless of how he had wronged her. Hell, she couldn't make it make sense no matter how hard she tried; she just couldn't help it.

Eric rose from the table and reached for her hand one last time. As they touched, Sookie felt the spark. She felt the electricity that coursed through her body and it intensified as he moved her hand to meet his lips. He looked into her eyes and she could tell it was goodbye. She saw it . She felt it. Time stood still as they met, hand to mouth and eye to eye. It was over…finally over and she was inexplicably terrified. The fear that engulfed her in that moment was paralyzing. Suddenly, she was incapable of clear thought, and then he was gone.

Panic overwhelmed her and she could not catch a breath. She rose looking all around as she fought her own body to swallow air. She felt herself starting to lose ground. Her knees hit first. Next, the tears that were unshed before came tumbling down, gravity forcing the water from her eyes. As she gasped for air, her ears were filled with the sounds of crying. The wails of someone hurting pierced through her own feelings of loss.

Sookie fought to regain control, shaking her head hoping to toss her despair from her mind . Her need to help others was strong and someone needed her. The fogginess began to recede and, as her equilibrium returned, she realized that the cries she had heard were her own. She was that someone in pain, and she was alone — alone physically and alone emotionally. 'We will be one' echoed in her head, but slowly faded away as realization of her future crushed her. She was so lost and she didn't know how to reconcile that with the thought that Eric was out of her life — forever.

Sookie took a deep breath and picked herself up to sit on the bench. Her need to help others at the expense of herself had overwhelmed her her entire life. It was borne out of hearing their thoughts and knowing that there were times that she could give them what they needed. She always had an inside track to what people needed and she would help when she could. She had subconsciously trained herself to put others ahead of herself and now, finally hearing her own pain in such a disconnected way, she knew she needed to stop. She needed to learn that it was okay to put herself first sometimes. But how….how could she go about it? How could she avoid the trap she had created? How could she learn to live for herself? And how could she find her way back to having Eric in her life?

Unbeknownst to Sookie, Eric had been watching from the sky shielded by the darkness from her searching eyes. Although he had every expectation that this was his final goodbye, he felt a pull in his blood as he flew away. It had stopped him in his tracks. That pull, threaded with immense pain, almost had him tumbling to the ground. As he turned in its direction, he saw Sookie on her knees howling in agony. He hurt as he watched her, wanting to go to her, to comfort her, but he knew he couldn't. He needed to end this vicious cycle that he had found himself in. If only she could remove the blinders that prevented her from seeing the truth. He could talk himself into waiting, if only she'd give him a sign — some type of signal indicating that there was, indeed, hope. He had time, after all, but he would not compete with Bill any longer. He had spent too much time already fighting that uphill battle, so he took one last look at the woman who captured his heart, in a hushed voice said "I love you, Sookie Stackhouse" and then shot through the dark sky.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks to everyone reading this story. There's a little of Bill in this and I hadn't realized how much attempting to write him would feel...well...icky. Anyway, I hope I did them all justice, including Bill. :)

Eric walked through the front door of Fangtasia. They were closed these days so there was no need to sneak in the back door. The crowds were gone and there were no fangbangers to avoid. The Hep V epidemic had pretty much shut down most vampire businesses and many human-owned business in towns where there was a significant vampire population. Hep V, via infected vampires, had decimated many a town around the world. Eric, himself, had had the misfortune of contracting the disease when he was in Europe licking the wounds that the death of his sister, Nora, had left.

When he left Louisiana, he had a huge gaping wound in his heart. He had always struggled with his emotions during his long life, but frequent reminders from Godric had gone a long way to dampen them. But Sookie, fuckin' Sookie….she had brought all of his emotions to the surface during that time they had together. From their first meeting, she had stirred feelings in him, and as those feeling grew through all of their meetings and her kindness to Godric….and to himself, it was that blasted week that had knocked his world off its axis. All of his defenses were removed during his time with her. His heart was exposed — he was exposed. And he was ill-prepared for the level of pain that awaited him.

When Godric had died Eric was devastated, but not incapacitated. However, Sookie's influences caused him to feel so much more intensely. The loss of Nora compounded by the door Sookie closed and the genocidal attack on his kind had left him inconsolable. So he went away and lived as though he didn't care.

Eric had accepted his fate. He had practically orchestrated it himself with his blasé

approach to life after he destroyed 'vamp camp'. Live or die — he hadn't really cared. He traveled through Scandinavia and Europe fucking and fighting along the way, and he had gorged himself on willing donors, of which there were many, without a care to their health. He hadn't seen the point, at the time. He had already died on the inside; he was just waiting for his body to follow.

That left him infected with Hep V by the time Pam found him. She was able to drag him back with the thoughts of revenge, but as they approached Louisiana, thoughts of Sookie drifted into this mind. He had wanted to see how she was doing, but couldn't muster the energy to put up with the grief Pam would give him, so he made up some story about going to see Bill. He figured, at the very least, Bill would be able to give him any news on Sookie. Any other time, going through Bill for anything, especially Sookie, would have been the last thing he would've wanted to do, but he was dying. It wasn't time to hold onto to anything other than the revenge Pam promised, so Bill was getting a pass — 'bygones' as she would say.

But seeing Sookie's face made him want to live and he was struck by it. He hadn't really anticipated seeing Sookie at Bill's home, but now that he'd had, she did what she'd always had, gave him fucking hope.

Now looking back, he scoffed at how things had turned out. His will to live was revived by the thought of Sookie and now that he'd had the cure, she was more out reach than she'd ever been. Bill had found the ultimate connection to Sookie — they would be tied by his death. Once the deed was done, there would be no freedom from the knowledge that she, through her blood, had killed him.

Fucking Bill Compton. He and Eric couldn't be more different. Outside of the obvious physical differences, Eric had always enjoyed being a vampire, being true to who he was. That was in sharp contrast to Bill who had worked so hard through the years developing his tormented, tortured vampire persona. It was a facade that worked well for him in certain situations and he used it often as the Queen's procurer when the job took him to the human world. If only people knew the truth; if Sookie knew the truth — things might have been different. Regardless, it seemed their differences were fated to continue. Where Sookie's tie to him would be life, Bill's tie to her would be death.

Eric made his way to his office. The place was a shambles after the earlier fight with the Hep V vamps, but they were gone and Fangtasia was once again his. It was unclear what exactly that meant since the vampire businesses were far from booming, but it was his shithole and, more importantly, it was home.

He crossed the threshold and sat heavily in his chair. He was tired. There had been so much that had happened in the last week since Pam dragged him back to Louisiana. First on the list had been Sarah Newlin. That bitch. She really needed to die for unleashing Hep V, but, as it turned out, she was the damn cure. So there would be no killing Sarah. Guess there goes the new book title for Bill O'Reilly, he snickered to himself.

It ended up working out for him. Through the course of hunting Sarah down, he and Pam discovered that she had drank the antidote and that her blood had mutated continuing to process the rare antibodies. A quick bite later and his Hep V was gone. He had wanted to kill her, to end her for her role in Nora's death and the plague that currently infested his world, but it appeared she had other enemies. Enemies who were great in number and not without some skill. After much consideration and prodding from Pam, Eric decided that revenge did not outweigh his desire to live. He and Pam were in the middle of a storm with the Yakuza and Sarah, and if he was going to fight, he'd rather do it from a more advantageous vantage point. To that end, he decided it was his time to walk away, at least for now.

Leaving the memories behind, Eric looked around and decided that he might as well start cleaning up. One of the perks of being a vampire was speed, and he had it in droves. A thousand years undead meant he was incredibly fast, so cleaning up the mess wouldn't take him that long. Ordinarily he'd just hire someone to do the cleaning, but the climate was such that vendors fell into the same category as patrons — absent. Eric sighed as he heaved himself out of his chair, cursing the day he was born — Virgo, he liked it neat.

Sookie had made her way home after her meeting with Eric. She felt drained and confused by all that had transpired, and he had her questioning what she was doing with her life. Bill — damn him. She had poisoned him and now he was dying, and the worst of it was that there was a cure and he had refused it. Why? She couldn't wrap her head around it, and if she was being honest, she didn't think there would ever be a reason that would remotely make sense. To think of it made her so angry, but that anger did nothing to assuage her guilt.

She made her way to the phone and called Bill. "Hey, how ya feeling?", she said in a quiet tone.

"Sookie….I'm so glad to hear your voice. I was worried for you, sweatheart. There are still Hep V vampires around. I don't like the thought of you being where I can't protect you."

"Bill, I'm alright. I can take care of myself and, besides, I wasn't alone. So there's no need to worry. Are you feeling any worse?"

"Oh…good…good, I'd rather you not be alone. May I ask who you were with? Someone who could protect you, I hope."

"Bill, I'm fine. I'd really wish you wouldn't worry about me. You're the one who needs looked after. Now what can I do for you? Can I bring something…some blood? Are you hungry?"

"No, Sookie. I'd rather not eat. I have no interest in prolonging my death", Bill said.

She felt gutted. Why couldn't he take the cure? Why was he so determined to die? Did he not understand what this was doing to her. Tears filled her eyes as she said "I understand. Why don't I come over and keep you company."

A smile broke on Bill's face as he said, "That would be lovely. What would I do without you, Sookie."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I won't lie, this one's a toughy. Writing Bill….well, no words…really, that's what I'd prefer…no words. Alas, I'm stuck with certain characters in this remake of the end of season 7. Forgive me for the Bill stuff, and do let me know what you think. As always, thanks for reading!

End of Chapter 2

 _"Bill, I'm fine. I really wish you wouldn't worry about me. You're the one who needs looked after. Now what can I do for you? Can I bring something…some blood? Are you hungry?"_

 _"No, Sookie. I'd rather not eat. I have no interest in prolonging my death", Bill said._

 _She felt gutted. Why couldn't he take the cure? Why was he so determined to die? Did he not understand what this was doing to her. Tears filled her eyes as she said "I understand. Why don't I come over and keep you company."_

 _A smile broke on Bill's face as he said, "That would be lovely. What would I do without you, Sookie?"_

Chapter 3

Sookie made her way to Bill's and she was filled with dread. What was she going to do? She had never expected that she'd be so tied to Bill again. She slowed her gait until she stopped at the edge of his property. Looking up into the sky, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She let it out and took another….and another. The fresh air helped to clear her head. She desperately needed to see things for what they were. She wanted to see him for what he was.

Despite all of the horrible things he did to her – the lies, the deceit – he still held a place in her heart, but in the clarity of the moment, she knew the truth. It was the blood. It clinged to her and refused to let go. It was like a snake that slithered throughout her blood and coiled around her heart, and whenever she seemed ready to let go, it squeezed just enough to bring her back to him.

Standing under the black sky, her thoughts were unclouded. She felt a twinge of freedom and just that little bit felt amazing. She could only imagine what it would feel like to be completely free and it made her dream. She stood stock-still on the perimeter of Bill's property and she let herself go. She thought of a world where her thoughts and her desires were her own. She craved the ability to walk in the direction that promised a bright future. She thought of her friends….Lafayette, Sam…Tara. Oh, Tara. She had not properly grieved for her best friend and she cried inside. She thought of Jason and how he'd turned his life around. She thought of how much she loved him. And then there was Alcide. Looking back under the clarity of the surrounding silence, her heart broke for him. She loved him, but not how he had deserved to be loved. She could never really give all of herself to him and, in retrospect, she knew it was because there was a part of her that would always belong to someone else. "Eric", she whispered. At that last thought, she felt her dream begin to fade. She was desperate to hold onto the feeling, but the harder she pressed, the more it slipped through her fingers. A minute later, it was gone. All of it – hope, love, friendship. Now all that filled her heart was a darkness…..a darkness that propelled her forward towards the first man she had ever loved.

She made motion to knock, but Bill answered before her knuckles hit the door. Startled, she stepped back, but Bill caught her elbow and pulled her towards him for an embrace.

"Sookie darlin', I'm so glad you're here. I can't tell you how much it comforts me to know I can count on you to help me see this through til the end. I don't think I could bear it without you. You are my miracle, Sookie, and it's your face I hope to see when my end comes."

He held her close planting a soft kiss to the side of her head. It was all Sookie could do to not fall apart. She wanted to cry — cry for Bill, but also for herself. She didn't want to do this; she didn't want to watch him die. She felt anger towards him for putting her in this situation, yet, she couldn't bring herself to walk away.

"I'm happy my being here makes you happy, Bill. I'd rather not talk about you dying, though." Sookie left his embrace and continued her walk towards the living room. She sat on the couch and Bill followed, sitting so close that their thighs touched.

Feeling uncomfortable by their closeness, she decided to ignore it and pepper him with questions, "So Bill, how are you really feeling? Are you feeling any weakness? Has it spread much?"

"I'm feeling tired, Sookie. Tired of living. Tired of waiting. The only thing that eases my pain is you, and I'm so thankful to have you, Sweetheart." His fingers laced between hers as he took her hand and held it to his chest. Turning towards her, he said, "Sookie, I know this is difficult for you, but I need you. I'm not long for this life and there's nothing I want more than to spend what little time I have left with you. I've loved you more than I loved anyone else, Sookie. I know I've hurt you, but let me make amends in what little time I have left. We could spend these last few weeks together, as I always envisioned. I would die a grateful man. Can you do this for me, darlin'?"

Sookie didn't know what to say. These were not the words she wanted to hear. She wanted to say no. She wanted to tell him to go to hell. He was choosing this for himself and she didn't want to be dragged down with him….but, the guilt. It ate her up and every time she felt like she had the strength to walk away and leave him to his choice, her chest would be weighted down.

Bill could see her struggling with her thoughts. He couldn't lose, not now. He was determined that she would be there at the end with him and maybe, just maybe he could convince her to join him in death. They would be together forever. She would be _his_ forever. The thought gave him chills. Seeing Sookie struggle over his words, he focused on his blood. He could speak to her with his blood. The Hep V made him weaker, but he could still muster enough strength to influence her. She was a sweet, naïve, guilt-ridden little thing. He could thank her upbringing for that. Always thinking the best of people even though they didn't respond in kind. Yes, his sweet, little Southern Belle – she'd be his if it was the last thing he did in the time he had left.

Sookie felt her resolve break and all she could do was tighten the grip on his hand and shake her head 'yes'. She stood up and dragged him along and said "Come on. Let's go for a walk." Bill happily followed.

Eric walked around admiring his work. Fangtasia was looking more and more like its usual self, except it was empty. He sat down at the bar and reminisced about how much things had changed. It was all so quiet now. He spun on the stool and that was the only sound that permeated the building. He wouldn't be caught up melancholy. No, he would rebuild. He had no clue what it would look like or how he'd do it, but he always found a way to survive and he'd do it again.

As he continued spinning, a soft knocking broke through the noise of the stool. The knocking grew louder as he stopped spinning. Curious and leery, he approached the door. He paused for a moment as he listened. He could tell that it was a human on the other side. Hearing only one heartbeat, he cautiously opened the door. "Hmmm….Jason Stackhouse. To what do I this surprise? Thinking of me, perhaps?"

Jason bristled at Eric's comments. He'd been having some very erotic dreams since the night Eric saved him. He had hoped that they would eventually stop since so much time had passed. They did begin to decrease in frequency, but every now and then one would creep up. And looking at Eric, alive and in person, he couldn't deny that he was a 'handsome motherfucker' . Shit, that pissed him off.

"Hey, now….that'll be enough of that, if you please."

"Why are you here, Jason?"

"I'm here to talk to you about Sookie." Eric turned to walk away. "Go home, Jason."

"Now wait a minute! Sookie's in trouble. She don't know it yet, but she is and I need your help. She needs your help."

"Jason, Sookie and I have said our goodbyes. I don't think she's interested in anything from me."

"Eric, now I know you two have had some trouble, but I know you care about her. I've seen your face when she's anywhere near. Don't deny it."

Eric stared straight ahead looking right through Jason. He had finally made his peace with Sookie and he didn't know if he wanted to get involved again. With an unneeded breath, Eric ran his fingers through his hair. "What's her trouble, Jason?"

"Bill's her trouble, man. He's dragging her down. We've got to do something about it! He's killing her and I can't let it happen. So either you're helping me, or I'll do it myself!"

"Jason, I've never been able to get between her and Bill. You know this. At this point, I don't believe she'd hear what I had to say. There is so much of his blood flowing through her that it would interfere with anything any of us try to do."

"Nope, I ain't gonna stop trying. And you know damn well you got between them once." Eric's furrowed brows spoke the unasked question. "Surprised? She told me all about it. Think what you want, but she loves you. I heard about what happened when you came back. The way she looked at you. The way you held her. Friends…pfft!. So….you love her. And she loves you. The question is…what you gonna do about it?"


End file.
